


The Savior of Writing

by NoMiddleGround



Category: The Last Five Years (2014)
Genre: Gay Male Character, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-05-28 09:56:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6324586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoMiddleGround/pseuds/NoMiddleGround
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Epilogue to The Last Five Years in which Jamie finds romance where he least expects it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Long Day's End

Waiting for his plane to finally disembark, Jamie Wellerstein stared out his first-class window onto the tarmac. He always used to love evening flights; after all, how many opportunities do you get to fly among the sunset? To feel like you can reach out and touch the merlot reds, coral oranges, and coronation purples, all swirling around you in a storm of cloudy foam? But tonight, while contemplating what he once described as Nature's canvas come to life, he saw it all and felt nothing. 

 

_When did my soul lose its fire?_

 

The answer came as he knew it would -  _Kathy_. The extinguishing was anything but sudden - it started slowly, almost undetectably, like a micro-fissure in the foundation of a home. However, with time, the weight of his suffering became too much bear, and the fracture spread until it shattered, leveling the entire structure. 

 

He still dreamed about that final day - Kathy, ever two beats behind the drum of reality, standing there waiting for him to return. And him, resigned to goodbye, closing the gate behind him for the last time. Often, in his dreams, he found himself wondering how long she stood and waited. And sometimes, on particularly dark nights, he would walk by that spot years later, to find her still there, frozen, forever. 

 

He didn't sleep much, now. 

 

"Care for a drink, Mr. Wellerstein?"

 

Jamie was brought back to reality with a start, looking up at the steward offering him a beverage. He couldn't recall the last time he had looked in another pair of eyes and seen a person in them. He noted the writing on the name tag - Kevin. 

 

"How about a joint?" Jamie quipped back sardonically. 

 

The steward laughed and shook his head. "Afraid our first class cabin isn't quite equipped for that."

 

"A double gin and tonic then, please."

 

"Coming right up."

 

With that, the steward headed back to the galley to prepare his orders, and Jamie headed back into the recesses of his mind. 

 

He awoke some time later to the darkened night sky, uncertain of when he had drifted off. He stretched as best he could in the cramped space and reached for his phone.  _7:52_  - still another 4 hours left his flight home. He sighed and began rummaging for his headphones. 

 

Meanwhile, Kevin had noticed Jamie stirring and approached with his drink. "I couldn't let good gin go to waste!" he exclaimed with a twinkle in his eye as he handed Jamie the glass, ice cubes clinking on the edges. 

 

Just then, the plane hit a small burst of turbulence, and the freshly made beverage went flying, spilling all over the side of the plane. Jamie, ever quick on his feet, swiftly retorting "Looks like you didn't have a choice!"

 

Kevin chuckled again as he walked back up fetch a towel. After he had returned and cleaned up the mess, he started to walk away to refill the order, but Jamie stopped him and gestured to the open seat next to him. "Please, I hate to fly alone."

 

"Oh, I couldn't, I'd get in so much trouble!" Kevin replied hastily, glancing nervously back at the galley. 

 

"I insist, and the customer is always right, right?" Jamie urged, raising his eyebrow inquisitively. "Besides, good company beats good alcohol any day. Well... Most days."

 

Kevin laughed a third time that evening and acquiesced, taking the empty seat at the end of Jamie's row. Suffering withering looks from the stewards, Kevin and Jamie chatted incessantly between Kevin's cabin rounds. Jamie learned about Kevin's dreams of being a lawyer one day and rolled with laughter as Kevin recounted the exploits of his wild siblings. Kevin listened with fascination to Jamie's college adventures, and grilled him on the pros and cons of being a famous writer.

 

All too soon, hours turned into minutes, and the pilot flashed the seatbelt sign to indicate the beginning of their descent into Cincinnati. Kevin reluctantly arose for the final time, and looked back at Jamie. "Thank you, so much, for sharing yourself with me."

 

"And thank you, Kevin, for spilling my drink."

 

Kevin giggled for the final time that trip, and returned to his actual seat as Jamie rose his tray to prepare for landing. And, as he stared out his window into the night sky, he saw a glimmer of deep purple in a passing cloud and, for a moment, he felt. 

 


	2. A Conscious, Deliberate Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance encounter begins to intertwine with destiny, as two lost souls find each other in the mists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Mary, for inspiring me with your kind words to write more! I don't know you, but I hope to. ~Brian

24 hours. That was all the time Kevin had until his next flight, and he was going to take FULL advantage of the situation. Prior to becoming a flight attendant, Kevin never drank much; now, it was his only saving grace from the insanity of a job serving the general public.

After an abnormally long shower to wash away the grime of all those tiny aircraft, Kevin puts on a face, his best designer outfit, and a spritz (or four) of Kenneth Cole Reaction - his standard pre-binge ritual - and sets out to find the biggest party in town. He selects a practically empty local bar to work on his liquid courage, only to be happily surprised at seeing a familiar face in the corner stool.

"Did you spill your drink on your pants, or are you just happy to see me?" Kevin quips wryly as he approaches the famous writer, startled and slightly annoyed at the sudden interruption of his daydream.

"Well, you just got here, so nothing's been spilled on me yet..." Jaime retorts, beckoning him to sit on the stool adjacent. "Any particular poison you'd like to douse me in tonight?"

"Gasoline."

Jaime laughs despite himself, then orders them both a double gin on the rocks. Kevin raises his glass, and they clink drinks in a toast to... whatever.

"Here's to hopefully not remembering this night," Kevin declares before promptly downing his drink in one salacious swig, immediately motioning to the bartender for another.

Jaime balked slightly before following suit. The bartender shakes his head in silent judgment before pouring a second round. "I have to admit; I never expected to see you again. Are you stalking me?"

Kevin laughed and shook his head. "Not in the slightest, I only found you by chance. This was only planned to be my launching pad for a night of debauchery and poor decisions."

"And then you saw the poor, bitter, washed-up old writer in the corner and took pity on a wayward soul -"

Kevin punched him in the arm to shut him up.

"I saw you, and decided my plans had changed." He punctuated this revelation with a generous gulp of his second libation.

"Well good luck with that, I'll be filing a restraining order tomorrow morning." Kevin gave him a look of mock incredulity, chuckled, and then proceeded to strong-arm Jamie into downing their second round. And their third... And their fourth... Some number, numbers don't matter. What's Relevant Is, eventually, Kevin grew tired of the rundown local pub vibe, and yearned for a real party in the heart of downtown night life. He motioned to Jamie to follow, and he blanched. 

"No no, those scenes are for young, irresponsible criminals, and I'm not young anymore." Jaime is, meanwhile, paying the bartender and tipping generously as a thank you for his tolerance.

"Nonsense. Life is only here while it's here - you're required to seize it before it moves on."

"Oh, lovely, which Hallmark card did you get that from?" Jaime begins stuffing things into his jacket, as if to head home.

"COME ON" Kevin insisted, yanking Jaime by the arm up and onto his feet, and practically shoving him out of the revolving door before he could further protest.

And so, the two wandered off into the night, both on a search to find their own special place to get lost.


End file.
